Method for identification and authenticating without specific reader an identifier

ABSTRACT

Identification and authentication procedure without specific reader of a three-dimensional identifier ( 1 ), ( 9 ), ( 10 ), ( 11 ) attached to an object or living being by using sensory capabilities of the human being notably its stereoscopic vision capabilities (A) and its tactile sense (A′) permitting the appreciation of the particularity of the identifier which renders the latter difficult or impossible to reproduce which are, for example, heterogeneities mixed in a transparent material or surface ridges and/or cavities. The identification or reading is then carried by the visual comparison (B) of a two-dimensional representation image ( 2 ) of the identifier ( 1 ) ( 9 ) ( 10 ) ( 11 ) stored in a database ( 4 ) accessible by a network ( 5 ) and the identifier himself.

APPLICATION DOMAIN

The present invention intends to propose a means for identifying andauthenticating an identifier attached to objects or to living beingswithout necessitating the use of a specific reader. It will be appliedin the battle against counterfeiting, traceability or security.

STATE-OF-THE-ART

These days, several means exist to identify and authenticate objects orliving beings. A popular method consists in attaching a hologram to anobject to be controlled as well as at the time of the transaction, thepresence of a hologram is supposed to guarantee the authenticity of theproduct. Now with the means of reproduction and current impression, itis easy to copy and reproduce a hologram and consequently, attach afalse hologram to counterfeited products. Furthermore, the buyer doesnot have any information a priori regarding the fact that a hologrammust be present on the object and even less regarding the appearancethat this hologram should have. Consequently, if the article does notshow a hologram or even worse, if the latter vaguely represents thebrand of the object which it is supposed to authenticate, the buyer willbe duped.

Another technique consists of associating an electronic chip or aradio-frequency label called an RFID to the object to be authenticated.This solution relies upon the complexity and investment that realizationof this type of identification requires as well as on shared secretssuch as encrypting algorithms. This technique has two major drawbackswhich considerably limit its general implementation. On the one hand,the significant cost of identifiers which is typically greater than oneEuro, and on the other hand, the necessitiy of access to a specificreader to read and interpret the identifier.

The patent request PCT/FR01.00322 of the same inventor describes annon-reproduceable identifier based upon a random distribution ofheterogeneities in a transparent material. The identification andauthentication of the identifier is done with the aid of a specificreader which allows the submission of the identifier to two differentillluminations and of comparing the signature of the identifierpresented with the one registered in the database. The necessity to usea specific reader is also a major obstacle in the extension of thistechnology in particular for applications to the general public.

The document U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,238 concerns an automatic or visualidentification process of an individual based upon one or moreparticular characteristics of the person's physical appearance whichhave been registered in advance either in a database or directly on anitem such as an identity card. The process described in this document isapplied then to a person which has the particularity of presentingnotable physical characteristics which may be directly used to identifythe aforementioned person. In the present invention, as will be shownlater on, the applicant sought to propose an indirect means ofidentification by proposing an identifier which is attached to an objector a living being which one wishes to label and not to identify orauthenticate the object or living being itself. Consequently, the objector living being to be labeled does not necessarily have to present anotable characteristic. On the contrary, in the case of a battle againstcounterfeiting, the present process, the subject of the invention allowsthe labeling of identical objects among one another. In this regard, theinventor suggests using three-dimensional identifiers which present arandom distribution of heterogeneities rendering the latter alwaysunique and impossible or very difficult to reproduce.

The document U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,215 concerns a tactile label with thepurpose of giving information about the product on which it is attached.This type of label does not have an authentication objective to theextent that they are easy to produce and reproduce identically. In nocase these labels based are upon a random distribution ofheterogeneities. These labels do not require comparison with an imagestored in a database. In fact, this type of label has traceability asits exclusive goal but does not constitute in any manner a means ofbattle against counterfeiting and even less an appearance of security.

The document WO 98/02083 concerns a device and a test method ofabilities or aptitudes in an automatic manner. This patent is not at allabout an identification and authentication process without specificreader of an identifier attached to an object or a living being.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENVTION

The present invention intends to propose a human process to identify andauthenticate identifiers attached to objects or living beings withoutthe drawbacks cited above. In particular, it intends to offer a means ofidentification and authentication without the need of a specific reader.The innovation consists in using the options offered by modern means ofcommunication such as the Internet or the last generation of mobiletelephones which have multimedia options. To implement the invention, anidentifier which is difficult or impossible to reproduce, is attached tothe object or living being which one wishes to label. In a generalmanner, the identifier is a member of the family of three-dimensonalidentifiers, those which may present either a three-dimensional imprinton the surface in relief or as an imprint, or any random heterogenousarrangement within the volume. The invention is essentiallycharacterized by the fact that the authentication is carried out byhuman sensory verification of the characteristics which renders theidentifier difficult or impossible to reproduce and its identificationor reading is carried out by visual comparison between a two-dimensionalimage of the identifier stored in a database accessible by a network andthe identifier himself. In this way, this invention allows the indirectrecognition and identification of identical objects which isparticularly new and inventive.

As a non-limiting example, it may be prudent to use three-dimensionalvolumic identifiers comprised of a random heterogenous distribution in avolume made up of a transparent or translucent material. In this caseand pursuant to another characteristic of the invention, theauthentication is carried out by stereoscopic visual verification of thethree-dimensional volumic appearance of the identifier andidentification is carried out by the visual comparison of atwo-dimensional representation image of the identifier, theafore-mentioned image is stored in a database accessible by a networkand the identifier himself. In this case, it is a matter ofadvantageously using the abilities of the human eye to compare an objectand its image in a related manner. If the material containing the randomdistribution of heterogeneities is only visible under infrared lighting,an adapted sensor placed between the eyes and the identifier will beused to visually discern if it is indeed a matter of volumicdistribution.

Based upon another characteristic of the invention, in order tofacilitate visual identification, one may reproduce an image similar tothe two-dimensional image which is physically associated with thethree-dimensional identifier. In this case, the identification iscarried out by a first visual comparison between the volumic identifierand the associated similar image, then by a second visual comparisonbetween the two-dimensional image stored in the database and the similarimage. It follows that the similar image which is associated with theidentifier is represented on an appropriate scale in order to facilitatethe comparison. To facilitate the comparison, it may be prudent tocomplete the similar image and/or two-dimensional image and/oridentifier with a special marking. As an example, this marking may be alattice and/or a chart and/or orthogonal axes.

Advantageously, the present invention may be implemented by means oflabels or access cards to a right or a service.

Based upon another characteristic of the invention, the network whichallows access to the database is a telecommunications network.

As a non-limiting example, the access may be carried out by means of theInternet. According to another possibility, one could imagine accessingthe contents of the database and in particular, a two-dimensional imagewhich is stored there with the aid of a portable telephone withmultimedial functions.

Advantageously and based upon another characteristic of the invention,the identifier may be attached in an inviolable manner to the object tobe identified or authenticated.

Other characteristics of the invention will appear in reading thefollowing figures as a non-limiting example.

FIG. 1 shows a means of verification of an identifier whoseparticularity is in presenting internal heterogeneities.

FIG. 2 shows a means of verification and identification whoseparticularity is of presenting surface ridges.

FIG. 3 shows a means of verification and identification whoseparticularity is in presenting cavities.

FIG. 4 shows a mixed means of verification and identification whoseparticularity is in presenting surface ridges and cavities.

FIG. 5 shows a means of implementing the invention.

FIG. 1 shows an identification and authentication process withoutspecific reader of a volumic identifier (1) whose particularity is inpresenting internal heterogeneities presenting itself in the shape ofbubbles and/or solid particles distributed in a random manner within atransparent material. To verify the authenticity of the volumicdistribution of the heterogeneities, one must use stereoscopic vision(A) of the human eye (12) and to proceed to identification and reading,a visual comparison (B) is carried out between the two-dimensionalrepresentation image (2) of the identifier (1) stored in the datebase(4) accessible by a network (5) and the identifier (1) himself.

FIG. 2 shows an identification and authentication process withoutspecific reader of a volumic identifier (9) whose particularity is inpresenting the ridges of surfaces placed in relief. To verify theauthenticity of this particularity, one uses tactile sensation (A′) of afinger (8) and to proceed to the identification or reading, a visualcomparison (B) is carried out between the two-dimensional representationimage (2) of the identifier (1) stored in a database (4) accessible by anetwork (5) and the identifier (9) himself.

FIG. 3 shows an identification and authentication process withoutspecific reader of a volumic identifier (10) whose particularity is inpresenting cavities prepared from the surface of the aforementionedidentifier (10). To verify the authenticity of this particularity, oneuses stereoscopic vision (A) of the human eye (12) and to proceed to theidentification or reading, a visual comparison (B) is carried outbetween the image of the two-dimensional representation (2) of theidentifier (1) stored in a database (4) accessible by a network (5) andthe identifier (10) himself.

FIG. 4 shows an identification and authentication process withoutspecific reader of a mixed volumic identifier (11) whose particularityis in presenting surface ridges placed in relief and cavities preparedfrom the surface of the aforementioned identifier (11). To verify theauthenticity of this particularity, one uses tactile sensation (A′) of afinger (8) and stereoscopic vision (A) of the human eye (12) and toproceed to the identification or reading, a visual comparison (B) iscarried out between the two-dimensional representation image (2) of theidentifier (1) stored in a database (4) accessible by a network (5) andthe identifier (11) himself.

Based upon a first means of implementation of the invention, the volumicidentifier (1) (9) (10) (11) is connected to an object or a living being(6), then a two-dimensional image (2) of the identifier is registered inthe database (4). The database (4) may also include complementaryinformation such, as for example, a description, an age, a date ofmanufacture, a photograph, . . . of the object or living being to whichthe identifier is assigned. When at a later point in time, one seeks tocarry out an identification and authentication of the object or livingbeing (6) to which the identifier (1) (9) (10) (11) was assigned, onebegins by carrying out sensory verification, which may be visual (A), ortactile (A′) which allows in the present case authentication of wherethe particularities of the identifier (1) (9) (10) (11) are located.This permits the guarantee that one is dealing wtih an identifier andnot a reproduction Then one verifies the identity of the identifier orits reading by carrying out a visual comparison (B) between theidentifier (1) (9) (10) (11) and its two-dimensional image (2) stored inthe database; the last being accessible by means of a network (5). Itfollows that if one wishes, one may first proceed to the identificationwithout leaving the area of the present invention. Obviously to acceeddirectly to the information authorized and corresponding to theidentifier (1) (9) (10) (11) in the database (4), it is prudent toattach a call number and possibly a password to the identifier to secureaccess to the database. In this way, a call number corresponds to anaddress in the database.

FIG. 5 shows another means to implement the present invention. In thiscase, the identifier (1) (9) (10) (11) is associated with a label orcard (7), itself attached virtually or physically to the object orliving being (6) to be identified. In the present case and in order tofacilitate the identification operations, a similar image (3) showingthe particularities of the identifierr is printed on the label or cardat an appropriate scale. In this way to proceed to a firstidentification, one makes a first visual comparison (C) between theidentifier (1) (9) (10) (11) and the similar image (3), then a secondvisual comparison (D) between the similar image (3) and thetwo-dimensional image (2) contained in the database. For lateridentifications, it will suffice to proceed to the visual comparison (D)between the similar image (3) and the two-dimensional image (2).

Advantageously, the similar image (3) and the two-dimensional image (2)are at identical scales in order to facilitate their comparison.

Pursuant to another characteristic of the invention, in order to makethe idenifier inviolable, it may be prudent to affix upon the object tobe identified in such a way so as if one seeks to detach it, one damagesit irreversibly.

The present invention may be used for a large number of applicationsbecause it allows every user to access, in a very simple manner andwithout investment, in the verification of the authenticity of a productand its essential characteristics by simply using the sensory capacitiesof the human being which permits the creation of the link between adatabase and the identifier, difficult or impossible to reproduce,assigned to an object. It is, for example, possible to verify thebiometric identities of human beings (fingerprints, iris of the eye)without having to use interpretation devices and costly readers.

1-9. (canceled)
 10. An identification and authentication process that is indirect and does not employ a specific reader, for identifying an object with the assistance of a three-dimensional identifier attached to the review object, the identifier presenting heterogenities distributed in a random manner within a transparent material rendering the latter difficult or impossible to reproduce, the process characterized in that: it uses stereoscopic vision (A) of the human eye (12) to verify the three-dimensional appearance and confirm the authenticity of the aforementioned identifier (1), and the identification or reading is made by visual comparison (B) of a two-dimensional first image (2) of the identifier (1) stored in a database (4) accessible by a network (5), to the identifier itself (1).
 11. An identification and authentication process as in claim 10 wherein a second image (3) similar to the two-dimensional image (2) of the identifier (1) (9) (10) (11) is prepared, the second image (3) is physically associated with the three-dimensional identifier (1) (9) (10) (11), a first visual comparison (C) is carried out between the three-dimensional identifier (1) (9) (10) (11) and the second image (3), a second visual comparison (D) is carried out between the first image (2) and its similar representation in the second image (3).
 12. An identification and authentication process as in claim 10 wherein a call number and/or a password is associated with the identifier in order to facilitate and secure access to the database (4).
 13. An identification and authentication process as in claim 10 wherein the network (5) is a telecommunications network.
 14. An identification and authentication process as in claim 10 wherein the identifier (1) (9) (10) (11) and/or the two-dimensional first image (2) present a particular marking or identification in order to facilitate the visual comparison.
 15. An identification and authentication process as in claim 11 wherein the identifier (1) (9) (10) (11) and/or the two-dimensional first image (2) and/or the similar second image (3) present a particular marking or identification in order to facilitate the visual comparisons. 